Chapter 346: Chapter 33, Collective Defense Treaty
While the Allied Forces secretly assembled for intervention, the American Civil War continued unabated. If they knew that the victor would face suppression from the four major powers, I wonder if the North and South would still have the appetite for war.

Of course, this is just speculation. At this stage in the war, neither side has a choice but to continue fighting.

On the other hand, with the backing of the four major powers, even if they were to lose, they wouldn’t be left with nothing, which I assume would make them more at ease.

At the start of the war, every country supported the Southern Government. When the Southern Government gained the upper hand, everyone quickly started selling armaments to the Northern government.

The war has dragged on precisely because everyone has been playing a balancing act between the North and the South. Otherwise, if the four powers had given their full support to one side, the winner would have likely been decided within the first year.

Piecemealing their resources together, the four countries of the UK, France, Austria, and Spain have assembled over a hundred warships and 260,000 land troops. Without prior preparation, no one would believe such a feat was possible.

This is just the readily mobilizable military force and does not represent the full strength of the four countries in America.

If pushed to the limit, not to mention the three countries of England, France, and Spain, which have operated there for many years, even Austria, which has only recently established a foothold in the American region, could muster up hundreds of thousands of troops.

Conscription in the colonies is why the major European colonial empires have been able to grow so strong. Otherwise, relying solely on government forces to defend the colonies, wouldn’t the British be crying themselves to death?

How could the British Imperial Army, with only hundreds of thousands of regular soldiers, defend over thirty million square kilometers of territory?

For example, of the eighty thousand troops the British contributed this time, most were from the Canadian colonies, as drawing troops from the homeland would be too costly.

In Vienna, upon receiving news of the Allied Forces’ formation, Franz canceled the plan to move troops from Africa and Southeast Asia.

The strength of the Allied Forces is enough to overturn the balance of power. After all, neither side could quickly annihilate the other, regardless of who wins or loses.

With the support of the four countries, the loser sees a chance to turn the tables right before their eyes, and there’s no way they will concede defeat so easily!

Historically, the rapid failure of the Southern Government in the later stages was mainly due to the long-awaited intervention forces never showing up. It was only when there was no hope of victory that they surrendered to the Northern government.

This fact can be proven by the absence of post-war reckoning towards the senior ranks of the Southern Government, indicating the role they played in the latter stages of the civil war.

Despite several years of civil war, do not assume that the elite troops of the North and South are so formidable.

In reality, their elite status is relative; they have indeed made significant progress since the outbreak of the civil war. However, from a global perspective, the U.S. Army is still minor.

It can’t be helped, the losses in the war have been too great, with soldiers being replaced batch by batch. With a pre-existing shortage of lower-ranking officers and rapid casualties, there hasn’t been time to train more.

Unqualified lower-ranking officers and a high number of new recruits are common problems faced by both sides. Initially, the Southern Government’s military advantage is being gradually equaled out in the course of the war.

At this point, it no longer matters who wins or loses between the North and South. In any case, they will not be the winners.

Franz thought for a moment and said, “Send the fastest order to Governor Hummel, commanding him to speed up organizing immigrants from the United States; it will be difficult to do anything once the war ends.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Minister of Colonization József Jellacic replied.

Digging at America’s foundation is not something that only Austria is doing; England, France, and Spain are also enticing immigrants from the U.S., albeit not as aggressively.

Before the passing of the “Homestead Act,” Austria’s efforts to attract immigrants were almost unstoppable. The main constraints on the speed of immigration at the time were the lack of ships and time needed for resettlement.

In this era of vast and sparsely populated America, every colony lacks immigrants, and the mighty colonial empires have been quick to follow suit.

After Lincoln issued the “Homestead Act,” many people hesitated. If they could get land by staying in the U.S., why risk leaving? Even if they had to serve in the military, somebody could serve in their stead, right? Many labor service companies offer substitution services; for just two hundred U.S. dollars, one could avoid the battlefield.

As the civil war has progressed, the number of African-American soldiers has surpassed five hundred thousand, with both sides organizing massive African-American armies.

Of course, the impoverished who don’t have the money remain the main force in migration. These people can neither afford to hire substitutes for military service nor have the money to cultivate land.

After all, farming also costs money; without funds, one cannot even buy seeds. Austria at least offers interest-free loans.

If someone were to compile statistics, they would find that hiring substitutes for military service has been on the verge of becoming mainstream since 1864. In some states, the number of newly enlisted African-American soldiers has exceeded that of white soldiers.

Should you encounter a battle where both sides predominantly consist of African-American soldiers, do not panic; this is merely standard practice.

The reason why various state governments organize large numbers of African-American soldiers is obvious. The biggest benefit is the ability to sign employment contracts with labor companies, sparing the governments the headache of conscription and the worry of facing repercussions from families over heavy casualties.

After all, everyone is elected by the populace. In the face of brutal losses, the public is reluctant to serve, and officials cannot force them unless they’re prepared to lose votes.

As good governors and legislators serving the public, they turn a blind eye, and if there’s still a shortfall in numbers, state governments can hire from labor companies.

The authority of both the Federal government and the Confederate Government is limited. The states show face to the Central Government by meeting their quotas, but to demand specifics is to risk passive resistance.

For perspective, during the cruelest times of the civil war, prisons across the states were vacant. In their struggle to meet quotas, officials did not hesitate to delve into extreme measures.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg chimed in, “Your Majesty, according to the intelligence we’ve received, all European nations have plans to colonize the African Continent. Napoleon III is preparing to convene an international conference to partition the African Continent.”

The historic partitioning of the African Continent has begun early, which is not good news for Austria. Until now, only France and Austria were primarily focused on colonizing Africa.

With the French colonizing along North Africa and the desert separating them, the conflict between France and Austria on the African Continent wasn’t significant.

If an international conference is called, attracting nations worldwide, it will no longer be possible for Austria to quietly prosper as before.

Franz asked uncertainly, “Do we know the purpose of the French?”

Due to historical reasons, the African Continent has long been referred to as the “Continent of Poisonous Insects,” and European countries have not regarded Africa as noteworthy, with many considering it a Savage Land.

If there had been better options, Franz would not have wished to colonize Africa. Unfortunately, the world had already been carved up, leaving only this last continent available.

Currently, France and Austria were the most invested in Africa, and they also reaped the largest benefits.

Now, by initiating an international conference and piercing this paper window, attracting all European countries to the African Continent was clearly against the interests of the French.

No one wished to see more hands reaching for a piece of the cake, and before entry to the table where all relied on their own means, if France and Austria could tacitly join forces, excluding their competitors, splitting the African Continent between them was not impossible.

Weisenberg analyzed, “We can’t be sure yet, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs suspects this might be related to the Italian issue.

After annexing the Kingdom of Sardinia, the French have had a hard time internationally, with every country strengthening their guard against them.

It’s very likely that Paris Government is attempting to divert everyone’s diplomatic attention by throwing out Africa, reducing the vigilance against them.”

This was the backlash from being too powerful; Napoleon III had only annexed the small Kingdom of Sardinia, yet it stirred greater unease in the international community than when Franz rebuilt the Habsburg dynasty.

It was uncertain whether Napoleon III should be proud or cry. Being watched like this every day made it difficult to carry out any task!

The Anti-French Alliance always hung over them like a blade, and once they overstepped, this already disband Alliance could be reborn at any moment.

There’s no need to speak of the rest: just look at the reactions of their neighbors and it all becomes clear.

Spain deployed 100,000 troops to their shared border, which was one-sixth of their forces at home.

Belgium stationed 30,000 troops in anticipation of French aggression, nearly 70% of their total military force at home, as if they were ready for a French invasion.

As a neutral country, Switzerland had a large number of reservists on standby along the border with France, even more ready than they were for their old enemy, the Habsburg dynasty.

The Kingdom of Prussia placed 120,000 troops in the Rhineland region, and there were about 150,000 local militia reserves, more than on their border with Russia and Austria combined.

Austria deployed 100,000 troops in Lombardy and 50,000 in Württemberg, with the militia reserves from these two kingdoms totaling over half a million.

The German Federation Empire, since its armies belonged to the governments of the individual Sub-States and the Federal government had no right to mobilize them, only had the troops of the border Sub-States in the regions along the French border.

Nevertheless, they had already signed a collective defense treaty with Austria, Belgium, Prussia, and Spain; in the event of a French invasion, they would join forces to thrash them.

It was said the Swiss were prepared to join the defensive treaty as well, but they hesitated only because of concerns that joining would cost them their neutral status.

Looking at this situation, it was evident how tough the French had it. Their neighbors guarded against them as if they were bandits – how far were they really from another Anti-French Alliance?

All these were repercussions of France’s annexation of Sardinia, which directly led to an ironclad alignment among neighboring countries, severing any potential for their expansion.

As for the mastermind behind the formation of this Alliance, the British, of course, could not miss causing trouble in Europe.

At first, Franz was not intending to join, confident that Austria’s strength was sufficient to fend off French aggression without aligning with other countries.

Later, considering that Napoleon III might act recklessly, and a sudden conflict could arise; it was beneficial to have more allies to share the burden.

The British crafted not just a defensive treaty against France, but ensured Austria was also entangled, though the only treaty parties were Prussia and the German Federation Empire.

Uniting European countries for collective defense was John Bull’s method to restrain the expansion of France, Austria, and Russia.

However, the existence of the Russian-Austrian Alliance directly freed these two countries from this constraint, leaving France to enjoy the singular honor of being targeted by its neighbors.

Dissolving this Alliance was not easy, since its members were united only in defense, with no plans for offense. Taking rash action could potentially trigger their sensitive nerves and lead to unpredictable consequences.

Franz uncertainly asked, “Are you suggesting the French are ready to stir up conflicts among countries by using African interests, in order to break the encirclement around them?”

Foreign Minister Weisenberg replied, “No, I think the French are sending us a signal.

Given the substantial interests at stake in Africa, I don’t believe they would easily let go.

Moreover, among the treaty nations of our mutual defense, there are not many capable of dividing Africa. Any colonial conflicts of interest pale in comparison to homeland security concerns.

This joint defense may appear formidable, but in truth, if we withdraw, the remaining countries combined will pose no threat to the French.

It’s easier to convince us to leave than to deal with all the surrounding countries; the French cannot possibly fail to see this.

By releasing this signal now, it’s very likely they’re enticing us to come forward on our own accord to discuss the array of issues.”

This was an open gambit; the French were betting that the Vienna Government could not afford to give up the interests on the European Continent.

Although Austria’s expansion in Africa was swift, it still occupied just a small fraction of the entire continent, with actual control of less than one-fifth of the African landmass.

This was very much in the style of Napoleon III. Throughout his rule, Napoleon III had gambled frequently.

This seemingly surefire gamble was nothing much; indeed, Austria could not afford to let go of the interests in Africa. With just another five years, Franz could complete the strategic layout across the African Continent.

“Then the Foreign Ministry will make first contact with the French. As long as the interests are right, there’s nothing we can’t discuss.”

Franz spoke calmly, as he was not one to fear loss. Besides, Austria was far from defeated. As long as the desired benefits were secured, the process did not matter.

France and Austria joining hands to divide Africa was also a good choice. As for the mutual defense treaty, whether it could be effective or not would depend on interests, and they could simply cancel it when the time came.